Which element has atoms that can form single, double, and triple covalent bonds with atoms of the same element? the choices are florine, oxygen,carbon and hydrogen. i also need a explanation of why its the right answer. thanks for helping :)
How do we see flourine? as F2. How about oxygen? O2. How about C and H? Does that give you some ideas about what to think about?
i don't see what you mean
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon-carbon_bond
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon
http://www.edinformatics.com/math_science/c_atom.htm
um i don't think wikipedia really helps because some of the things on the website are often not true..but if you could keep helping me cuz i really don't understand this at all thanks alot :) sorry if i don't understand right away chem isnt my good thing
Wikipedia is just fine for science. Carbon has 4 electrons in its outter shell. This means it can share electrons in a very wide variety of configurations. Just read that material and you will see. The links I gave you were not just wikipedia. I go to great lengts to find websites that answer questions exactly. We don't do your homework for you. we just point you in the right direction. The reason you have homework is to learn how to find and figure out answers. If you give us you best answer after reading, we'll check it for you.
Good luck!
The element that has atoms that can form single, double, and triple covalent bonds with atoms of the same element is carbon. This is because carbon has a unique electronic structure that allows it to form multiple covalent bonds. Carbon has four valence electrons, which means it can form up to four covalent bonds by sharing its electrons with other atoms.
To understand why carbon can form single, double, and triple covalent bonds, we need to look at its electron configuration. Carbon has two electrons in the 1s orbital and two electrons in the 2s orbital. The 2s orbital can accommodate a total of four electrons, so carbon has room to form additional bonds.
When carbon forms single covalent bonds, it shares one electron with another atom, resulting in a single bond. For example, in methane (CH4), carbon forms four single covalent bonds with four hydrogen atoms.
Carbon can also form double covalent bonds by sharing two electrons with another atom. This is possible because carbon has two unpaired electrons in the 2p orbital, which can participate in bonding. In ethene (C2H4), carbon forms a double bond with another carbon atom. Each carbon atom shares two electrons with the other, resulting in a double bond.
Lastly, carbon can form triple covalent bonds by sharing three electrons with another atom. This is possible because carbon has a total of six electrons in the 2p orbital. In ethyne (C2H2), carbon forms a triple bond with another carbon atom. Each carbon atom shares three electrons with the other, resulting in a triple bond.
In summary, carbon has the unique ability to form single, double, and triple covalent bonds because of its electron configuration. This flexibility allows carbon to form a wide variety of compounds, making it essential for the chemistry of life.